1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rail support devices and more specifically it relates to a rail support system for adjustably supporting a pair of abutting rails to be welded together.
Railroad companies generally weld abutting ends of rails together for providing increased support when secured to wooden ties. It is desirable to weld the rails at an angle with respect to the ground surface typically 3.5 degrees for each rail thereby creating an inverted V-shaped. After the rails are welded together, they are allowed to cool. After the desired period of time for cooling, approximately 15 minutes, the rails are lowered and the excess weld material is sheared off with conventional shearing tools thereby creating a smooth rail. Do to unevenness in the rails and terrain, it can be difficult to align the adjacent ends of the rails resulting in a weakened weld. Hence, there is a need for a rail support system that adjustably supports the abutting ends of two rails being welded.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rail support devices have been in use for years. One type of conventional rail support device is the use of two wedges that have a slanted edge that is positioned underneath each of the rails to elevate the ends.
There are three disadvantages to utilizes wedges to elevate the ends of the rails during the welding process. First, the wedges are driven underneath the rails with a hammer or other device which causes tremendous side forces sometimes resulting in twisting of the rails. Second, it is extremely time consuming and labor intensive to properly elevate two opposing rails which are extremely heavy. Third, a conventional shear device is unable to immediately shear the excess weld because the wedges are in the way.
A second device that can be utilized to elevate the opposing rails is commonly referred to as an "A-frame" which utilizes conventional elevating means directly above the rails to elevate them. However, as stated with the wedges, the physical structure of the A-frames is inconvenient to utilize compared to the present invention.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for adjustably supporting a pair of abutting rails to be welded together. Conventional rail support devices are cumbersome to utilize and often result in uneven alignment of the rails. In addition, conventional rail support devices do not allow the welded area to be sheared and grinded immediately thereby delaying the welding process significantly eventually resulting in increased costs for the company.
In these respects, the rail support system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of adjustably supporting a pair of abutting rails to be welded together.